The Painted Glider
by asleepnpsylentsolace
Summary: Tohru yearned to know his secrets, to solve the mystery that made him, to unravel his threads. Then one day, as she was sitting on the old painted glider on the front porch, folding clothes, he approached her.


**Disclaimer: _sighs _I do not own Fruits Basket. o but if I did..._stars in eyes_**

**The Painted Glider**

_I can't stand the pain_

_And I can't make it go away…_

_I'm slipping off the edge_

_I'm hanging by a thread_

_I want to start this over again._

For as long as she could remember, he had always remained withdrawn about his feelings, excluding his contempt for his family members. But the other things, his more personal thoughts, they were a mystery, swirling deep inside him.

Tohru yearned to know his secrets, to solve the mystery that made him. She always seemed to be grasping at the threads that he occasionally unraveled for her, always trying to piece them into the greater picture. But she never pried. If she pried, she might touch on things…things he didn't want to be touched.

Then one day, as she was sitting on the old painted glider on the front porch, folding clothes, he approached her.

He came with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his head bowed to hide his face, flushed from embarrassment. His shoes traced patterns in the worn welcome mat. Finally, after several moments of silence, he looked up.

Tohru met his depthless eyes, hoping her own didn't mirror the anxiety leaping in the pit of her stomach.

What did he want?

She swallowed nervously as he settled down beside her on the glider. The clothes that she had folded earlier were clutched to her chest, now wrinkled. Her heart pounded as he scooted closer, close enough so that their knees brushed each other.

"Tohru," he said hoarsely, as if trying to swallow the lump in his throat, "I need some advice."

Tohru blinked, quite surprised for a moment, but it quickly passed. She set the pile of clothes on her lap, smoothing them out as she considered his words. "What kind of advice do you need?"

His face turned even a darker shade of red, actually close to purple this time. His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped, "Advice about…girls."

"Girls?"

"Yes. You see, there's…this girl. And I really like her."

Something inside Tohru twisted. She felt a sharp pang in her chest, like a giant hand had reached through her lungs to her heart and jammed it into a hard ball. Of course there was a girl, she mentally berated herself. What girl _wouldn't_ be in love with him? He probably had his pick of girls. It had only been a matter of time before he chose one of them.

Now he was coming to her for help. She couldn't reject him in his time of need, though she felt like she was crumbling within. She had to suck in her sorrow and disappointment and offer her advice to him when he needed it most.

Tohru knotted a shirt in her lap around her fingers. "So, what is the problem?"

"I…I don't know how to tell her that I…" his eyes met hers again, "…I love her. And I have for a really, really long time."

"Well, you should be honest. Maybe she's as nervous as you are."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"I'm sure she does. Why wouldn't she love…" Tohru cleared her throat. "You should just find a nice, quiet time and sit down with her and just say, "_We need to talk_," and tell her just what you told m-me." Her voice caught again and tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, refusing to fade away. "That y-you love her, and that you have for a r-really l-long time."

"Thanks, Tohru."

"A-anytime," she hiccuped.

He then stood and walked inside, flashing her a quick smile before his head disappeared behind the door. Tohru smiled back sadly and numbly continued to fold clothes, anything to keep her mind off her heartbreak. The tears flowed though. They rained down her cheeks onto the clean laundry, leaving salty splotches on the clothes and her lips.

The sun was sinking as she finished folding the last shirt and placed it in the basket. With a yawn, she reached up high to stretch her aching muscles. Then she sank back against the glider and rested her head on her arms. _I'll just close my eyes for a minute, _she thought. _Maybe…when I open them…this will all have been just a dream. _

She let her eyes slowly drift closed. Within minutes, Tohru was curled up on the glider, fast asleep.

A while later, the front door opened and careful footsteps tapped across the wooden porch. They came to a stop next to the old glider, where their owner stood taking in the chipped white paint and the slender body sound asleep on it.

He crouched down next to the glider. Gingerly, he reached out his hand and allowed his fingers to trace her soft features, gliding over her smooth cheekbones and tucking a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Tohru," Kyo whispered, "we need to talk."

**AN: lyrics property of "Untitled" by Simple Plan. luv that song! Did ne one guess who the guy was before I gave the name? My friends couldn't decide who it was...--"" but I think it's rather easy to figure it out...tho that's just me.**

**Kyo: _smacks _U idiot! why do u always turn me into some softy pile of mush?**

**ANPS: _sobs_ im sry im sry! ghaaa! but ur so kawaii that way!**

**Kyo: ..._sounds of banging and screaming are heard in the background_**


End file.
